1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable mats for covering the bottom surfaces of bathtubs and shower stalls, and more particularly to such mats that are disposable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a large number of establishments that provide bath and shower facilities for their members and the general public, and truck stops, hospitals, hotels and motels are a few examples. Because harmful bacteria and dirt can accumulate on bathtub and shower surfaces, particularly on bottom surfaces, there is a public as well as a private health concern that those who use such facilities be guarded against the health risks presented by such contamination. It is well known, for example, that one must guard against fungal infections such as Athlete's Foot that are often transmitted by direct contact with infected surfaces on bathtubs and showers.
Another major concern with using both private and public bath facilities is the hazard of slipping and falling, since bathtub and shower bottoms can be quite slippery when wet.
The contamination risk could be eliminated if the bath and shower surfaces were cleaned and sanitized after each use, however in many cases this is neither practical nor economically feasible to do. One approach to the desease transmission problem is to use shower shoes, but they are often uncomfortable and unwieldly to use, and they do not necessarily eliminate the hazard of slipping.
Sometimes a grid of wooden or plastic material is installed on a shower floor, but such grids can themselves be slippery and uncomfortable, and can become contaminated with accumulations of dirt and harmful microorganisms.
Another conventional approach is to use portable rubber or latex mats, the mats sometimes having integral suction cups in their bottom surfaces for gripping the bath floor, and a textured or roughened skid-resistant top surface. In some cases rubber mats incorporate flexible magnetized sheets that attract the mat to the metal bottom of a tub or shower stall. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,069,951 and 4,512,044. Although portable rubber mats and the like may address the slippage hazard, there remains the need to regularly clean and sanitize them to prevent contamination. It is also noted that such mats are not inexpensive to produce and sell.